Head Lice Info

Note from the Nurse- Please give me a call if you suspect
your child has lice or if you have discovered it and treated your child. Once
treated, your child must be checked by the school nurse before returning to the
classroom. It is not easy to see lice since they move quickly and hide
from light. What I look for first are the nits (the eggs that lice lay), which
indicates the problem. These are especially small and easy to see if you know
what to look for. I have included photos to help you with this. At the
bottom of this page I have linked two good web sites:

Catching
Head Lice

A live louse travels
from one person to another, usually through head-to-head contact.

·Bed sharing and
sleepovers

·Group selfies

They can also travel
by:

Sharing combs, brushes and other hair care items with a person with
live lice.

Wearing a hat, scarf, coat or other clothing item that has live
lice on it.

Putting a head on upholstery that has live lice on it.

Piling coats, scarves, hats or other items that have live lice on them
and then putting them in contact with the head.

Anyone can get head
lice - children and adults!

Checking for Head
Lice

When to
look:

• Regularly.
• Whenever the head itches
• When it does not itch, especially if it is
possible to have come close to someone with head lice.

Who should be checked?

• Each person living in the household.
• Pets are not considered “people”. Pets do not get lice and do not spread
lice.

Where to
look:

• Where it itches.
• At the nape of the neck.
• Around and above the ears.
• At the crown of the head.
• Then through the entire head from top to bottom.

What to
look for:

• Live lice.
• Nits (lice eggs).

What do
lice look like?

• About the size of a sesame seed.
• Clear tan to dark red-brown in color.
• Six legs, with claws at the ends.
• Lice do not have wings or springs! They cannot fly or jump.

What do lice eggs (nits) look like?

• About the size of a grain of sand.
• Opal or translucent in color.
• It may be hard to tell nits from other things found on the scalp. Dandruff
and hair products can be confusing. Nits are firmly attached; others may be
easily moved by blowing or whisking.

Do lice move?

• Lice crawl very fast from light.
• Nits do not move. They are firmly attached to the hair shaft.

1. Have students put their hats and scarves in sleeves of their coat.
2. Ask children to keep their coat on back of their chair, hanging or in any
other way feasible that keeps them separate and not at risk of contact by
another child (near the head).
3. Make sure that children do not share brushes, headgear, pillows, bedding,
stuffed animals or costumes.
4. Wipe down shared headgear, headphones and/or helmets before being used by
other people. An alcohol or other sanitary wipe, or soap and water are
options.
5. All stuffed animals, fabric chairs, bean bags or upholstered furniture
will be removed from the classroom and bagged or stored where there are not
available to student use.
6. Be aware of student behaviors in class where they may be in close head to
head contact and redirect the activity to separate their heads.
7. Recognize signs of head lice such as excessive scratching, irritability,
or the presence of nits and/or lice.
8. Refer any child who exhibits potential signs or symptoms of head lice to
the nurse for a screening.
9. Encourage children to tell their parents, teacher or school nurse any time
their head itches.